Many residents are being forced to evacuate due to the wildfires burning across California. Powerful winds are driving the flames, causing air pollution to spike.

In Los Angeles, the air quality was reported as good to moderate earlier Tuesday, but by Wednesday morning, it deteriorated to hazardous levels, posing health risks.

This troubling trend is becoming more common, according to a YSL News review of data from the U.S. EPA.

While air quality has improved in the U.S. since the 1970s, wildfires are now a major concern, complicating efforts to maintain clean air and safeguard public health. Starting in 2017, smoke from wildfires has overtaken emissions from power generation and industry as the primary source of harmful airborne particles.

As of 2023, the most recent year with complete data, over 140 million people experienced at least a week of unhealthy air quality. This marks the highest number in ten years.

In 2023, massive wildfires in Canada sent smoke billowing into the U.S., with New York City caught in a smoky haze for several days. The wildfires persist into this year.

Currently, there is no verified data for 2024, making it premature to draw conclusions about last year, according to Kevin Stewart, Director of Environmental Health at the American Lung Association. However, earlier in 2024, various states issued air quality alerts as smoke from uncontrolled wildfires in Canada drifted into the U.S. for the second consecutive year.

This smoke can lead to health complications.

Pediatrician Afif El-Hasan, based in Orange County, California, has observed a rise in asthma-related cases during wildfire seasons.

“Exposure increases the chances of falling ill and can lead to additional health issues,” he noted.

El-Hasan provides many of his patients with plans to either start or adjust their asthma medication if they encounter wildfire smoke.

“If an asthma episode occurs during wildfire conditions, their health can decline more rapidly.”

Who is most affected?

The particles in wildfire smoke are microscopic—far smaller than a human hair—and can penetrate deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream, posing health hazards even for those without pre-existing conditions.

Long-term exposure to this fine particulate matter (referred to as PM2.5) has been associated with severe health issues like lung cancer, heart problems, and low birth weight.

Every year, air pollution results in millions of asthma-related emergency room visits globally and hundreds of thousands of premature deaths within the U.S.

Low-income households are especially at risk from air pollution’s adverse effects, as they often reside in areas with poor air quality. Studies show people of color are disproportionately exposed to higher levels of pollution compared to the national average.

“Underserved communities frequently contend with some of the worst air quality and have the fewest resources to address the impact of that air,” El-Hasan remarked.

The YSL News analysis concentrated on days when the Air Quality Index (AQI) exceeded 100.

At this level, while healthy individuals may feel minor effects, those who are particularly sensitive can suffer considerably, Stewart explained.

“Without a lung function test, one might not realize the issue; they might just feel off that day,” he added.

Those particularly at risk include individuals with asthma, respiratory or cardiovascular diseases, the elderly, children, and outdoor workers.

Challenges in air quality improvement

The YSL News analysis indicates that Los Angeles and four other counties in California—home to approximately 15 million residents—experienced the highest number of unhealthy air days in 2023.

Despite this, the instances of poor air quality are on the decline in these areas. For example, Kern County reduced its days of unhealthy air from 207 in 2004 to just 70 in 2023, while Los Angeles County’s numbers nearly halved during the same timeframe.

State officials credit this reduction to stricter regulations aimed at achieving zero emissions, including the expansion of electric vehicle charging stations, limits on vehicle idling, modernizing old trains, and decreasing landfill emissions.

The Environmental Protection Agency reports a roughly 80% decline in emissions from six key pollutants since 1970, when the Clean Air Act began regulating hazardous emissions.

However, while emissions from sources like electricity generation have decreased, emissions from wildfires are increasing.

A separate YSL News analysis revealed that wildfires have become the main contributor of PM2.5 since 2017. Research indicates that the pace of improvements in fine particulate pollution is slowing and, in some cases, reversing.

As climate change leads to rising temperatures, scientists warn that wildfires are likely to increase in both frequency and severity, especially in western states.

“Ultimately, we are making strides in reducing air pollution,” noted Saravanan Arunachalam, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, in an interview with YSL News. “However, natural sources like wildfires present ongoing challenges.”

Attributed to climate change, this situation may also have underlying causes.

“It all happened so fast”

Following the birth of her daughter Lucille in early August 2020, Anna Braje spent a few days at the hospital. By early September, they were cherishing their time at home in Southern Oregon when Braje sensed something was amiss.

“The day was so brightly blue before, and everything unfolded so suddenly,” she recounted.

Gusty winds exacerbated a fire nearby. Braje quickly took her daughter and two journals her father had gifted her for graduation and fled in their Subaru.

“I veered off the road to avoid the emergency vehicles parked there, and as I turned the corner in the park, I realized there was no turning back – the first manufactured home was already ablaze,” Braje described.

Throughout the state, fires in September 2020 resulted in unprecedented conditions, causing air quality monitors to reach maximum levels.

Further north in Portland, which recorded its first “hazardous” air quality days due to wildfire smoke, Alexa Van Eaton captured an image of the ash raining down.

“What struck me about the ash fall from the wildfires in 2020 was how eerily similar it felt to experiencing volcanic ash in a region,” remarked Van Eaton, a volcanologist at the US Geological Survey.

That year, the Pacific Northwest experienced the highest number of acres burned since consistent record-keeping begun, only to break that record again in 2024, according to the Statesman Journal.

The Rev. Chuck Currie, a minister of the United Church of Christ in Portland, stated that summers in the city used to be one of the greatest joys. However, the shifting climate has changed that narrative.

“We’ve noticed that from August to September, smoke has become prevalent in the Portland area and across the Northwest. It wasn’t like this before,” Currie explained.

Last September, Currie and his wife ventured on a camping trip to Mount Hood.

“While we were there, the smoke was so dense that we couldn’t even see the mountain,” Currie recalled. “After a couple of days, we decided to pack up and go home because it was quite unpleasant.”

Concerns Over Potential Rollbacks in Trump’s Second Term

Experts warn that if clean air regulations are lifted amid increasing pollution from wildfires, the progress made in air quality could vanish just as quickly.

This concern is particularly relevant as climate change complicates public health protection efforts.

There is growing alarm regarding potential rollbacks during President-elect Donald Trump’s anticipated second term. Air quality specialists indicate that plans from conservative organizations tied to Trump, like Project 2025 and America First Agenda, propose measures that would diminish the authority of environmental agencies to impose stringent air quality standards.

“If the new administration intends to reverse some of those regulations, it would effectively set the country back,” noted Arunachalam, a professor at the University of North Carolina.

Experts highlighted that numerous environmental regulations weakened during Trump’s first term were related to air pollution and emissions, including the rollback of the Obama-era fuel efficiency standards that aimed to enhance the fuel economy of new vehicles by 2025.

John Walke, senior advocate at the Natural Resources Defense Council, anticipates that the second Trump term will mirror the first.

“I wish it weren’t the case, but having experienced the first four years, I feel confident in that prediction,” said Walke, who previously worked as an attorney in the EPA’s Office of General Counsel.

During his first term, Trump “supportively advanced environmental conservation and stewardship while promoting economic growth,” Karoline Leavitt, spokeswoman for the Trump-Vance transition, stated in an email to YSL News.

“In his second term, President Trump will continue to ensure clean air and water for American families while making America wealthy again.”

Walke pointed out that there were hardly any new rules or regulations enacted to enhance air quality during Trump’s first four years, further stating: “All actions taken during the Trump administration were geared towards rolling back protections under the Clean Air Act.”

Some of these rollbacks are still present today, according to Walke.

Laura Kate Bender, an assistant vice president at the American Lung Association, confirmed that the non-partisan organization is prepared to advocate for clean air regulations under any administration.

“It’s well known that President Trump intends to stifle environmental protections,” Bender stated.

“We will utilize every tool available to defend these advancements.”